8505. Today ye shall not find it in the field. That this signifies that then good shall no longer be acquired by means of truth, is evident from the signification of "not finding," when predicated of the good which is obtained by means of truth, as being to acquire no longer; and from the signification of "field," as being man, here the mind of the man in which good is implanted by means of truth; for man is called "a field" from the fact that he receives the truths of faith, which are seeds, and brings forth the fruits of the seeds, which are goods. [2] How the case herein is shall be briefly told. Before regeneration man acts from truth, but through it good is acquired; for truth becomes good with him when it becomes of his will, and thus of his life; but after regeneration he acts from good, and through it truths are procured. To make this still clearer: Before regeneration man acts from obedience; but after regeneration from affection. These two states are inverse to each other; for in the former state truth rules, but in the latter good rules; or, in the former state man looks downward or backward, but in the latter upward or forward. [3] When a man is in the latter state, that is, when he acts from affection, he is no longer allowed to look back, and to do good from truth, for at that time the Lord flows into the good with him, and leads him by means of the good. If at that time he were to look back, or were to do good from truth, he would act from his own; for he who acts from truth leads himself, whereas he who acts from good is led by the Lord. This is what is meant by these words of the Lord:
When ye see the abomination of desolation, let him that is upon the house not go down to take anything out of his house; and let him that is in the field not return back to take his garments (Matt. 24:15, 17, 18). In that day, whosoever shall be upon the house, and his vessels in the house, let him not go down to take them away; and whosoever is in the field, let him likewise not turn back to the things behind him. Remember Lot's wife (Luke 17:31, 32). (How the case is further with these things see what has been unfolded above, n. 3652, 5895, 5897, 7923, and what will be unfolded below, n. 8506, 8510.) These are the things which in the internal sense are signified by the words that "the manna would not be found in the field on the seventh day," and "that there went out some of the people for to gather and they found none."
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